Mayor denies rate rise poll was skewed

By
BEN LANGFORD

Feb. 22, 2013, 4:06 a.m.

Shellharbour residents polled on the council's proposed rate rises were first shown a pamphlet saying roads, drains and playgrounds would deteriorate and sporting fields would be mowed less often, unless rates were increased significantly.

Mayor denies rate rise poll was skewed

Shellharbour residents polled on the council's proposed rate rises were first shown a pamphlet saying roads, drains and playgrounds would deteriorate and sporting fields would be mowed less often, unless rates were increased significantly.

The poll, taken last month by the Illawarra Regional Information Service for Shellharbour City Council, asked whether the council should apply for a rate hike higher than the pegged 3.4 per cent rise.

After 1000 poll participants had been recruited, they were sent a council-drafted pamphlet and told to familiarise themselves with it before taking the poll.

The result has been criticised as using loaded questions to deliver the result the council wants - support for a rate rise.

But Mayor Marianne Saliba denied this, saying the pamphlet was just stating the facts.

The pamphlet showed three options: no extra rate rise above the pegged 3.4 per cent (about $31 a year); a "sustainable" rise of 9.3 per cent ($104) each year for four years; and a "small" rise of 6.7 per cent ($72) a year for four years.